February March April Quick Links

Yes, aLearning has been distracted these past few months with some non-blog projects… so although a few of these resource items are a little older than a month or two, they’ve been re-vetted and we think they’re still worth your attention.

LMS Resources

The most popular topics on this blog are those on LMSes. They get the most initial hits, and some posts that even date back a few years are still getting a lot of attention.

Having said that, here are a few excellent resources — in no particular order — if you’re trying to decide whether to get an LMS or not.

First, Jon Aleckson blogged on the topic here: http://managingelearning.com/2012/02/10/association-lms-yes-or-no/

And you can get a copy of their free white paper, “When is the Right Time to Adopt an LMS” by filling out a quick form here: http://www.webcourseworks.com/adopting-an-lms-white-paper

DigitecInteractive’s white paper on selecting an LMS includes an example timeline for the process: http://www.knowledgedirectweb.com/company1/content/296/8-Steps-to-Selecting-Your-Association_LMS.pdf

Social Learning

An oldie but goodie: “Social Learning Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does!” from Jane Hart’s “Learning in the Social Workplace” blog. Moving from “Command and Control” to “Encourage and Engage” is sometimes harder than we think. Her charts contrasting these provide a great checklist: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/blog/2011/09/12/social-learning-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-it-does/

Wondering why you set up a social learning network but nobody’s participating? Get some help from Mary Arnold’s Learning Solutions article, “The Human Factor: Creating Opportunities to Participate in Social Learning.”  Read it here: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/492/the-human-factor-creating-opportunities-to-participate-in-social-learning

Mobile Learning

Kineo has released a terrific white paper on getting started in mobile learning. “Terrific” because it not only provides the “what” you need to know and do, but examples as well — including images of various applications. Go here to download your copy: http://www.kineo.com/us/elearning-reports/mobile-learning-guide-part-1-designing-it-right.html

General Topics

Avectra’s been offering a Book of the Month, delivering excerpts on all kinds of topics. If you’re not getting the alerts about these, here’s where to sign up: http://www.avectra.com/association-management-resources/resources/book-of-the-month.php

Gotta love the idea of using the “speed dating” technique at a conference or workshop for changing up the same-old, same-old format. How would you incorporate it? (Not my idea, I confess… my source was this: http://blog.hansdezwart.info/2012/02/01/speed-dating-at-the-2012-learning-technologies/)

Quick Clicks

We’re a little late to call this the “October Quick Clicks” — but that’s when most of these links were collected…. Watch for another Quick Clicks edition sometime later this month (or early next month… this is what happens when you’ve got a lot going on, but then, I know you live in that same world!).

 

Fun and Games and Learning

Wondering if games can actually get people engaged with the content? Why not try it yourself? The folks at Web Courseworks Ltd have developed a game focused on safe driving amidst a variety of distractions. Give it a go!

***********

Twitter Teaching

Ah! Here it is: “Practical Advice for Teaching with Twitter.” You knew there had to be some nut-and-bolts help out there somewhere, didn’t you? Though directed at lecturers for higher ed, you can easily adapt these guidelines for learning leaders, particularly for larger sessions. See Mark Sample’s great article in October 22 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education  online here.

***********

PLN… ALN… Both Good

Thinking about a PLN (personal learning network)? Or creating a sort of ALN (association learning network)? Wondering where to start? Thanks to Carol Brown at Online College for pointing aLearning to this terrific article, “50 Great Ways to Grow Your Personal Learning Network,” with lots of nuts-and-bolts how-to information.

************

Some PD on Non-Profit Topics — FREE

Guidestar is offering a great series of informational Webinars they’re calling “Lunch & Learns.” Scheduled for just 30 minutes each, these are free and focus on topics ranging from nonprofit benchmarking to charting impact to “how to read the most valuable parts of the 990 in 25 minutes or less!” You must register to attend; you can register for any one or all; Web sessions are offered via WebEx. Sessions are currently scheduled through November 22.

************

How Do You Know Which Online Format to Use?

Ayesha Habeeb Omer, over at CommLab India’s Custom Training and eLearning Blog, posted a succinct guide to identifying content types so you can match that content to your delivery options. Read her “Nature of Content — A Deciding Factor for Training Design” for a brief yet thorough explanation.

************

LMS Primer

Of course, we like to recommend our own “Choosing a Learning Management System” aLearning Fundamentals as your place to start with your LMS questions… but the LMS primer TrainingForce has posted online has more detail if you need additional background.

***********

Have a resource you’ve discovered you’d like to share? Post it in the comments or send me a note at ellenbehr@aol.com.